Daniel Sirstad
Ditch The Timeline!
Ditch the timeline! We often hear timelines attached to healing from different physical injuries such as broken bones, wounds, surgeries, and more. When an individual suffers from emotional trauma and grief, it’s no surprise that people often want to attach a timeline to that healing process as well. If only I could tell you how frequently I heard the phrase, “Healing from betrayal trauma takes 3-5 years.” However, it’s hard to place a timeline on our emotional healing. Healing is unique to…
Rejecting God’s Forgiveness
Is rejecting God’s forgiveness possible? “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 KJV). “…There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent” (Luke 24:47 NLT). There is no doubt that God’s forgiveness is available to whosoever will.…
Guilt & Shame
Guilt & Shame Guilt and shame have terrible effects on a person, both spiritually and physically. When someone carries guilt and shame around, unbeknownst to others, it usually affects every part of their life. In Psalm 38, we find David struggling with this after sinning (which one is unclear). You can feel the pain and guilt of his…
Vanguard ’24 Report
Last month, people from throughout the USA and Canada converged in Austin, Texas, for Apostolic Moral Purity’s 2nd annual Vanguard Conference. The conference kicked off with a powerful opening session, “Set Free to Be Free,” delivered by UPCI General Superintendent David Bernard. This session set the tone for the rest of the event. The emphasis of…
Is Anger Good or Bad?
It’s been said that anger is one of the most fundamental negative emotions. Just hearing the word, most of us immediately think of a negative experience we’ve had with it. We typically don’t like the word and often want to disguise anger by using other words such as annoyed, perturbed, aggravated, peeved, hurt, or frustrated. However, knowing that anger is not necessarily a negative emotion is helpful. Anger can have a very positive function. It’s how we express our anger that makes it negative or positive. God designed anger to have a positive function; we tend to misuse it most of the time. What does God say about this emotion? Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the…
What Causes Trauma?
I’m sure there are multiple answers to what causes trauma. I will give you one for your consideration. Most people will experience trauma in their life. Trauma is preceded by tragedy. Whether it is a catastrophe, calamity, misfortune, disaster, or heartbreak, it is tragic. If we live long enough, tragedy will happen, and pain and…
Reactive Or Receptive?
Do you find yourself being more reactive or receptive? Most people are familiar with the amygdala. Or, at least, what the amygdala manages, which is the fight, flight or freeze sensory part of the brain. I understand most folks do not go through the day with this question being a top-of-mind priority. But, since you…
Two New Clinicians
Lana Lyman, MA Lana is a homeschooling mother of three and has been a wife to her husband for over 21 years. She has worked in ministry for 22 years and always has a heart for helping others. After suffering from the trauma of betrayal and the devastation of her husband’s addictions and working for…
2024 Updates
DayStar Ministries Since the inception of DayStar Ministries, I have been the sole clinical provider. During the past 15 years, I have been honored to help hundreds of individuals and couples move toward a place of healing. I have traveled to many churches, teaching seminars and preaching. Most people I have worked with have been…
Truth Will Prevail!
Truth will prevail! Isaiah 59:14: “Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed. From their inception, the Israelites were a people who believed in one God and that it was He they should serve only. As time passed, memories faded, and generations gave way…
Three Layers of Maturity
Here are three layers of maturity: Dependence Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV): “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” How many of you trust God? Likely, you would all say you do and be right. To a point.…
False Belief Systems
For most of this year, I have been attending one of Apostolic Moral Purity’s Spiritual Discovery Groups for men, and we have recently been studying false belief systems. A comment that Michael Dye (author of The Genesis Process) makes is, “Beliefs create emotions and emotions drive beliefs.” There is a difference between true beliefs and false…